Luis Leon Sanchez: Rider Profile

Luis Leon Sanchez career profileLuis Leon Sanchez is a rouleur in the tradition of the greats of the sport. Time trials are a speciality of his but he has also matured into a fine stage racer.

Luis Leon spent the early part of his career under the tutelage of Manolo Saiz at the Liberty Seguros outfit. The Spaniard shot to prominence on the world stage in 2005, winning a stage and the overall at the Tour Down Under.

Taking the young riders’ jersey at the 2006 Paris-Nice was proof of his developing stage racing capability but he left the Liberty Seguros team in the wake of the Operacion Puerto affair; the Spaniard was not involved but moved on to the Caisse d’Epargne team for 2007.

Luis Leon took a string of fine results in 2007, with his first Tour de France stage win coming in 2008 in emphatic style. 2009 was his most successful year to date, with an overall win at Paris-Nice and stage wins in the Tour of the Basque Country and the Tour of the Mediterranean.